RCD Testing

It is the obligation of every business owner in Adelaide to ensure their workplace undergoes regular RCD testing. If you are an employer that is foreign to this concept, it’s important to understand your responsibilities.

What is an RCD and why is RCD testing important in Adelaide?

RCD stands for Residual Current Device and is often referred to as a ‘Safety Switch’ or ‘Clipsal Safety Switch’. The device is utilised at workplaces and is no different to the safety switch you have at your home, except normally there are more of them. Workplaces require additional safety switches because the electrical load required and type of actions carried out are normally a lot higher risk. For this reason, testing is extremely important.

As an Adelaide employer, RCD testing is an integral step to uphold your Duty of Care and is a necessary precaution to take to prevent injury or death in the workplace. Ensuring regular RCD testing takes place ensures you, your employees and customers are kept safe.

Does RCD testing have to be conducted by a qualified company in Adelaide?

In order to comply with Australian Standards RCD testing must be carried out by a qualified company. At TestCorp we are a fully qualified company that operates under AS/NZS3760 guidelines. We perform tests in accordance to the standards and complete our services within the necessary time periods.

In many instances a push button test should be carried out every six months, accompanied by a timed test every twelve months. Similar to electrical test and tag, TestCorp supply recognised records upon completing your RCD testing in Adelaide.

What makes an RCD (safety switch) function and what exactly does it stop?

RCD’s are proven worldwide as being a defence against electrocution and fire caused by electric power defects. An RCD safeguards your electrical system by continuously tracking the current moving within the circuit. In regular conditions, the current moving inside the cables will be steady. Whenever an earth leak happens, as a result of a defect inside the electrical wiring or perhaps a malfunction with the appliance, a discrepancy occurs, which is recognised from the safety switch. This will instantly kill the electricity just before injuries or damages occur.

What will an RCD (safety switch) not safeguard?

If an individual were to come in contact with both active as well as neutral simultaneously, then the electricity flow will be consistent through each circuit and the safety switch will not trigged.

Case 1 A contractor working with a power tool that has an electrical defect could receive an electric shock from the positive and neutral wires touching the body. This is the case as both positive and neutral wires provide electric power equally into the entire body, and therefore, the safety switch will not trigger.

Case 2 When a fridge has both a defective earth, along with a faulty positive wire to the steel frame, it is possible for a person to get electrocuted when they touch the fridge. Positive current has the potential to pass into the individual’s body through a neutral part in the cooler or motor. This occurs as a result of the earth not being found.

At all times, electrons use the direction of the lowest level of resistance. When a decent earth contact is available and a positive fail is created within the structure, positive will have to earth, and its amperage might have been greater than negative, hence the RCD would’ve triggered.

In simple terminology should you short out:

Positive with earth — RCD Triggers

Positive with negative with decent earth — RCD Triggers

Positive with negative — RCD will not trigger

Positive with a metal framework without any earth — RCD will not trigger

This milliamp description demonstrates a possible consequence, considering a normal power drill makes use of Three to Ten amp.

0 to .5ma. Typically this kind of current will be beneath the amount of voltage required for injury, leading to very little result.

.5 to 5ma. Whilst virtually no harmful physical consequences, this particular current might deliver a surprise feeling which could ends in injuries as a result of falling down, for example.

To 10ma. Similar impact as above however additionally muscle response could cause incapacity to drop tools. As soon as current flow stops dropping the tool will be achievable.

To 40ma. Significant discomfort as well as shock as present significance raises. With voltages above 20ma. a person can experience breathing issues together with heart problems if the flow is consistent. Disruption to heartbeat and also a heart attack is quite possible from greater periods of time or higher current.

To 250ma. Serious shock as well as chance of permanent disruptions to your regular cardiac routine. The potential for fibrillation rises because both current and time raise. Additionally, it is easy to get large burns at greater voltages along with a complete heart attack.

Why check (RCD) safety switches?

RCD or safety switches are an important prerequisite within the “Duty of Care”. RCD testing and tagging is a obligation within the Occupational Health Safety laws and regulations, as well as compliance with Australian Safety Standards.

Without regular testing with our advanced RCD testing services, safety switches may not work to the required standard, or even at all. Ensure your switches are working properly by taking advantage of our test and tag services. Act before you have an accident. To learn more about our RCD testing in Adelaide and across the nation, contact our professional team today.